Scientists say they are a step closer to recreating the conditions at the birth of the universe and to understanding life as we know it, after the successful collision of heavy lead ions in a massive machine in Europe.

This week, for the first time, ions were smashed together inside the Large Hadron Collider along the French and Swiss border. Until now, only protons had been collided in the experiment.

The tiny particles' lightning-fast collision promised to produce temperatures up to 100,000 times hotter than the sun, said Michael Tuts, a professor in experimental high-energy physics at New York's Columbia University and one of hundreds of scientists involved in the project.

"What we're doing is reproducing the conditions that existed at the very early universe, a few millionths of a second after the Big Bang," said Tuts, referencing the cosmic explosion that many scientists believe spawned the universe from one minuscule particle.

Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds: For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate sugary cakelets and Doritos chips every three hours, instead of meals. His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most - not the nutritional value of the food.

Amanda Knox to face slander trial: American student Amanda Knox, convicted last year of murdering her British roommate in Italy, was ordered Monday to face a new trial on accusations that she slandered police, her lawyer Luciano Ghirga said.

Stocks ended lower Monday, as investors took a step back from last week's run-up and shifted their focus to the global economic picture.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 38 points, or 0.3 percent, to end at 11,406.84. The S&P 500 dropped 3 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 1,223.25, and the Nasdaq added 1 point to end at 2,580.05.

A Michigan assistant attorney general who started a blog against the University of Michigan's openly gay student body president has been fired, the state attorney general's office said Monday.

Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell had taken a voluntary leave of absence earlier this fall after his blog garnered national media attention. Shirvell, a graduate of the university, took issue with what he called the student body president's "radical homosexual agenda."

[Updated at 5:57 p.m. ET] Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed in a news conference Monday afternoon that Wade Phillips was out as the team's head coach, and that assistant head coach Jason Garrett will lead the team on an interim basis.

Jones also said he is elevating defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni to defensive coordinator.

"An in-season coaching change is something that I've not done before. It's something that I was reluctant to even consider as late as this this past week. But at this time I believe ‚Ä¶ what‚Äôs in the best interest of the organization and the fans is a coaching change," Jones said.

Jones previously had said that Phillips would finish the season as coach. But Sunday night's 45-7 loss to Green Bay - moving the Cowboys' record this season to 1-7 - helped Jones change his mind.

"I don't like the way [changing my mind] looks stability-wise as far as our organization is concerned ‚Äď not my own self, but the organization ‚Äď but I think [the situation] called for it, and I recognized that after the game that we just weren't playing winning football, and our best chance was to make this change," Jones said. "Now with that, I don't apologize to anybody about changing my mind."

Jones said Garrett would have a chance to secure the job long-term - especially if the team has success over the next eight games - and that Garrett has "the temperament [and] the disposition to affect a culture change."

[Original post] Wade Phillips is out as the Dallas Cowboys' head coach following an abysmal performance by the team against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, a CNN affiliate and ESPN are reporting.

Many people were expecting the move (some were demanding it), and the search "wade phillips fired" was trending No. 1 on Google on Monday afternoon.

America's Team is off to a 1-7 start, their worst since 1989, after a preseason full of Super Bowl hype. Fans and observers have placed the blame squarely on the team's coaches.

CNN affiliate KTXA in Dallas said offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, an assistant head coach and one-time Cowboys backup quarterback, will take the team's reins.

Editor's Note: Learn about the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010 and vote for the CNN Hero of the Year at CNNHeroes.com.

[Updated 11/8/10 at 12:10 p.m. ET ]

In response to yesterday‚Äôs challenge to ‚ÄúBe a hero for healthy kids,‚ÄĚ we got tons of great suggestions for healthy kids‚Äô snacks and meals. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Here are a few highlights:

-Dehydrated apples, bananas and tomatoes. "My baby granddaughter is almost two years old and she loves the fruit. It's about the only way she will eat fruit right now, besides baby food." ‚ÄďiReporter KCRep

-Fruit and veggie smoothies: ‚ÄúBananas, strawberries and blueberries as a base, with Greek yogurt and then some carrots and spinach. The key is to balance the fruits with the veggies. I've never had a complaint about the smoothie yet.‚ÄĚ –Katyna

-Peanut butter happy face sandwiches: "A tablespoon of peanut butter spread on whole grain, then add a face: apple slices lips and ears, banana slices eyes with raisin pupils and eyebrows, a baby carrot halved for a nose. Let the kids make their own combos, just provide the face parts as above. Other good face parts are orange slices, sliced pears, shredded cabbage or coconut (nice hair), celery sticks, nuts, craisins, dried cherries, apricots, figs, prunes. Just tell them to choose carefully that they have to eat whatever they pick!" –Cindy Lou

-"My kids could live happily with quinoa in every meal. I make it in veggie or chicken broth seasoned with garlic & cumin. Add garbanzo, tomatoes, bell pepper or eggplant for variety." –@Denicalifornia

Alex Trebek

Clue: The 70-year-old Ontario native who has hosted ‚ÄúJeopardy‚ÄĚ for more than a quarter-century and who may set his sights on the Canadian governor-general‚Äôs office when his career in showbiz is over.

Answer: Who is Trebek?

More people are familiar with his career as clue handler on the long-running trivia game show than they are with his political ambitions, but that could change in coming years.

Trebek‚Äôs familiarity with geography was doubtless augmented by his time as ‚ÄúJeopardy‚ÄĚ host and also by his philanthropic endeavors.

According to the game show, he has worked with World Vision to bring attention to the plights of children in impoverished countries, he adopted a village and helped build a school in Zambia, he traveled to Haiti to assist in relief efforts after the January earthquake and he supports The Smile Train, which provides cleft-palate surgery for poor children across the world. He also has done 12 USO tours since 1987.

‚ÄúThere are so many people who struggle on a daily basis just to get by. I feel extremely fortunate and have made it a priority in my life to help others who are in need,‚ÄĚ Trebek has said.

The NFL's Oakland Raiders pulled out a 23-20 overtime win over division-leading Kansas City, putting the Raiders above .500 in November for the first time since Rich Gannon was calling the signals in 2002.

The Raiders trailed by 10 points at the half.

"In the past, a lot of Raiders teams would have folded in a game like today," Oakland offensive lineman Khalif Barnes said. "People would have been like, 'Same old Raiders again.'

"But this team, even when it was down today, it just kept doing what it needed to do on offense and defense and special teams. We just kept playing." FULL POST

Thai troops run for cover as fire from the Myanmar side of the Thai-Myanmar border spilled into Thailand on Monday.

About 10,000 people from Myanmar fled across the border into Thailand on Monday to escape fighting between Myanmar government forces and a splinter group of rebels of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, military and border officials told CNN.

The rebels and Myanmar forces clashed over control of the town of Myawaddy, which sits across the Moei River from Mae Sot, Thailand. The Thailand-Burma Friendship bridge connects the two towns.

Lt. Col. Vannathit Wongwai, commander of Thailand's 3rd Region Army, said Myanmar military officials told him they had retaken control of Myawaddy at 5 p.m. local time after bringing in 500 reinforcements to battle the Karen splinter group. FULL POST

Workers in Poland finished erecting the world's tallest statue of Jesus over the weekend, a 170-foot (52-meter) giant that towers over the countryside near Swiebodzin.

"This is the culmination of my life's work as a priest. I felt inspired to fulfill Jesus' will, and today I give thanks to him for allowing me to fulfill his will," Father Zawadzki said after the head was attached by a 700-ton crane, according to a report from the Warsaw Business Journal.

A crane places the head on the world's tallest Jesus statue this weekend in Poland.

The height of the plaster and fiberglass Polish statue surpasses the 40.4-meter (133-foot) Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and the 39.6-meter (130-foot) Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, according to news reports.

Local officials in the town of 21,000 people hope it will be a tourist attraction.

"More people will visit Swiebodzin and leave their money," Radio Poland quoted Dariusz Bekisz, the mayor of Swiebodzin, as saying.

The cost of the statue was covered by local donations, according to the Krakow Post. It will be officially consecrated on November 21.

American student Amanda Knox, convicted last year of murdering her British roommate in Italy, was ordered Monday to face a new trial on slander charges, her lawyer Luciano Ghirga said.

The trial is set to begin May 17, 2011, he said.

She and her parents are accused of defaming Italian police in the wake of her arrest for the killing of Meredith Kercher. Monday's hearing determined that there is enough evidence to try her for libel.

In another major sign of growing ties between India and the United States, President Barack Obama on Monday backed a permanent seat for India in the U.N. Security Council.

"In the years ahead, I look forward to a reformed U.N. Security Council that includes India as a permanent member," he said in an address to the Indian parliament.

The statement came as Obama made a wide-ranging address that envisioned closer economic and security ties between the United States and India, standing "shoulder to shoulder" with the world's largest democracy.

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